Illustration of litter
- litter 1a
1
a
: a covered and curtained couch provided with shafts and used for carrying a single passenger
… a litter carried on the shoulders of four men.—
Edwin Tunis
Edwin Tunis
b
: a device (such as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
The wounded soldier was carried to the rear by litter.
2
a(1)
: material used as bedding for animals
Fibrous peat was used as litter for livestock.
(2)
: material used to absorb the urine and feces of animals
b
: the uppermost slightly decayed layer of organic matter on the forest floor
3
: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal
a litter of puppies
4
a
: trash, wastepaper, or garbage lying scattered about
trying to clean up the roadside litter
b
: an untidy accumulation of objects
… a dark, shabby writing-desk covered with a litter of yellowish dusty documents.—Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
littered; littering; litters
1
2
: to give birth to a litter of (young)
3
a
: to strew with scattered articles
b
: to scatter about in disorder
c
: to lie about in disorder
Their upside-down hats littered the top of the bar …—Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon
d
: to mark with objects scattered at random
a book littered with misprints
Examples of litter in a Sentence
Noun
We decided to pick up the litter in the park.
Her desk was covered with a litter of legal documents.
Verb
Paper and popcorn littered the streets after the parade.
a desk littered with old letters and bills
It is illegal to litter.
He had to pay a fine for littering.
Recent Examples on the Web
Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
In the gutter, the usual New Orleans blend of litter and live-oak leaves was topped by a shimmering layer of pink fish scales glinting in the sun.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
What are the penalties for littering in Texas?
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Avoid high grass and leaf litter.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
In the gutter, the usual New Orleans blend of litter and live-oak leaves was topped by a shimmering layer of pink fish scales glinting in the sun.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Five-year and single-year growth rankings in the new census data are littered at the top with communities across the Carolinas, big and small.
—John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
What are the penalties for littering in Texas?
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litter
Cite this Entry
“Litter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litter. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
litter
1 of 2 noun
lit·ter
ˈlit-ər 
1
a
: a covered and curtained couch with poles to use for handles that is used for carrying a single passenger
b
: a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
2
: material spread in areas where farm animals (as cows or chickens) are kept especially to absorb their urine and feces
3
: the young born to an animal at a single time
a litter of puppies
4
: a messy collection of things scattered about : rubbish
litter
2 of 2 verb1
: to give birth to young
2
a
: to cover with litter
b
: to scatter about in disorder
c
: to lie about in disorder
Medical Definition
litter
1 of 2 noun
lit·ter
ˈlit-ər
1
: a device (as a stretcher) for carrying a sick or injured person
2
: the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal
litter
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to give birth to a litter of (young)
: to give birth to a litter
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